Steam condensate return and feed water system



April 12, 1960 M. B. GOETZ STEAM CONDENSATE RETURN AND FEED WATER SYSTEM Filed. June 19, 1956 STEAM LINE T0 BOILER MAKEUP WATER CONHENSATE RETURN INVENTOR Mar/A51. flaw/4R0 GoErz v s ATTORNEY nited States aren't This'invention'relates' toan apparatus, a method and "a system 'forautomatically feeding steam condensate and make-up water intoasteam boiler by alternately inducing flow 'of water into avessel by suction, and out of said vessel into'theboilerby pressure,'the suction being induced' by condensingan auxiliary fluid of greater volatility than water'in a -communicating vessel; and the pressure "being inducedby boiling said auxiliary fluid in a communicating generator.

Another-objectof thisinvention is the production of, means to supplant'the conventional boiler feed pump,"

customarily used forthis' purpose, which means con- 'sists ofan apparatus devised to utilize the heat of a boiler directlyas'the =sour'ce-of-energy for feeding condensate "and make-up -water into a boiler, thereby eliminating the-need for any mechanical'equipment and/or moving parts, with thee'xception ofthe c'heckvalves, the applicationofheat to a generator producing a desired pumping action. 'lt is-further an object of this invention to provide a'pumpingapparatuswhich utilizes the pressure of boiling volatile fluid to'pumpliquid from a feed source and utilizes the vacuum'produce'd by cooling of said volatile fluid to such-'liquidinto said'feed source.

Other objects and'advantages of the present invention will appear throughout the following specification and :claims.

:In thedrawing: Figure --l is a diagrammatic view illustrating an appa- Figure 2 is'a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified formof apparatus, constituting an alternate hook-up for a closed system.

By referring to Figure 1 of the drawing in detail, it 1s seen that :the apparatus consists essentially of a volatile fluid generator 1, apressur'e-vacuum chamber 2, a receiver 3, a 'feed water chamber 4, and a steam condensate accumulator 5.

The volatile fluid .generator 1 comprises, in this instance, a U-shaped vessel which is enclosed within the steam vmain 6, or if preferred, within the boiler itself.

The vertical cylindrical pressure vessel A, as shown in Figure 1, comprises an upper compartment or chamber constituting a receiver'3, and a lower compartment constittrting a pressure-vacuum chamber 2.

The 'pressure vacuum chamber 2 is situated above the generator '1. It communicates with the generator 1 througha venting'conduit 7 and a syphon conduit 8. The venting conduit 7 connects with one end of the generator 1 and enters the ipressurewacuum chamber 2 at its extreme lower portion extending upward to a point just short of the top of said pressure-vacuum chamber 2. The syphon conduit 8 connects to the other end of the generator 1 and enters the pressure-vacuum chamber 2 at its extreme lower portion "extending upward to a lower point than the upper end of the venting conduit, then .loops downwardly to form a syphon.

Z,%Z,Z? Patented Apr. 1 2, 1960 The're'ceiv'er 3 communicates with thepres'sure-vacuum f chamber 2 through a conduit 9 and through a conduit 10.

The conduit 9 enters thepressure-vacuum chamber 2 "at its extreme upper portion extending downwardly to a point just short of the'b'ottom of saidpressure-vacuum chamber 2. This conduit 9 'entersthe receiver 3 at its extreme lower portion and extends upwardly to a-point short of the top of said receiver 3, looking downward at its upper end. The conduit 10 "enters the pressure 10 enters the "receiver'3 atits extreme lower portion. Convacuum chamber 2 at its extreme upper portion and duit 19 includes a check valve '11, arranged in such a manner as to check flow from said pressure-vacuum chamber 2.

The feed water chamber 4 comprises in this instance, a cylindrical pressure vessel, preferably vertically disposed. The fe'ed water chamber 4 communicates with the receiver 3 through a conduit 12. Said conduit 12 enters the receiver 3 at its extreme upper portion and enters the feed Water chamber atits extreme upper por- 'ition,

The'steam condensate accumulator 5, as shown in Figure 1, comprises in'this'ins'tance a cylindrical vessel which is open or is vented to the atmosphere and is preferably vertically disposed. The accumulator 5 communicates with the feed water chamber 4 through conduits 13 and 14. "Conduit 1 3 'ent'ers'the feed 'water chamber 4 at its extreme lower portion, and its opposite end connects to the conduit 14. Conduit 14 enters "the accumulator 5 through the top thereof extending downward to a point just short of the bottom of said accumulator 5. Conduit .14 includes a check valve 15 arranged in such 'a manner "as to check flow from the feed water chamber 4, and this conduit 14 carries a'float valve 16 arrangedin such a manner as to close when the water level falls below a predetermined level. I

The feed water chamber 4 communicates with the boiler B, through the conduit 13 and conduit 17. The

conduit 13"connects to the end of conduit 17. The con duit 17 includ'es'a check valve 18 arranged in a manner to check flow from the boiler B, to which the conduit 17 is adapted to be connected. 7

The accumulator 5 communicates with'tlie condensate return lirie 19, and the m'ake-up Water supply line 210 through a conduit 21. The make-up water supply line 2% includes a valve 22'controlled manually, or it may be controlled automatically by'the low water level in the boiler "in any desired conventional manner.

Theapparatus abovedescribed constitutes an automatic boiler 'feed waterapump to feed the steam condensate and/or make-up water into a steam boiler. The operation is as follows:

The pressure-vacuum chamber 2 is charged with a volatile fluid such as alcohol, carbon tetrachloride, Freon 113, or any fluid the boiling point of which is lower than that of water, to the level XX at the top of the syphon 8. A portion of this fluid then overflows and syphons into the generator 1 until the seal at the inlet end of the syphon is broken at level Y-Y, thereby partially filling said generator 1 as shown. Charging is accomplished by pouring the volatile fluid through the filling conduit 23 at the extreme upper portion of the receiver 3 and venting through a pet cock 25 in the pressurevacuum chamber '2. This allows'th'e fluid to flow through conduit 10 and check valve 11 until the desired level in the pressure-vacuum chamber and the generator is attained. The filling valve 24 and the pet cock 25 are then closed. Saturated steam from the'boiler is then allowed to flow around the generator.

The liquid in the generator, in heat transfer relation- :ship with the steam, is brought to a boil causing vapor U portion of the pressure-vacuum chamber, partially condensing therein. The pressure which is in excess of boiler pressure, against the surface of the liquid in the pressure-vacuum chamber 2, causes liquid to flow upwardly through the conduit 9 into the receiver 3, partially filling said receiver 3. The pressure is communicated through the conduit 12 and the feed water chamber 4, conduits 13 and 14 to the check valve 15, closing the check valve 15; water then flows through check valve 18 and conduit 17 to the boiler.

When all of the liquid in the generator 1 has boiled away, the liquid in the pressure-vacuum chamber 2 will have fallen to a lower level above the lower end of conduit 9 such as aa, and the liquid level in the receiver 3 will have risen to level b-b.

Boiling will now cease, and the cooling effect of the air surrounding the pressure-vacuum chamber 2 will cause vapor to continue to condense in the chamber 2, reducing the pressure therein and allowing some liquid to flow by gravity from the receiver 3 through the conduit 1i) and the check valve 11 into the pressure-vacuum chamber 2. When this comparatively cool liquid encounters the vapor in the pressure-vacuum chamber 2, rapid condensation will take place producing a vacuum. The receiver 3 will quickly empty and the vacuum will communicate itself to the check valve 18, thereby closing said check valve 18.

Atmospheric pressure on the surface of the water with which the accumulator 5 is partially filled, as shown in Figure 1, will induce water to flow or be sucked upwardly through the conduit 14, float valve 16, check valve 15, and the conduit 13, into the feed water chamber 4, partially filling said feed water chamber 4, as shown in Figure 1.

The liquid level in the pressure-vacuum chamber 2 will rise to the top of the syphon conduit 8 to line X-X, and liquid will then syphon into the generator 1 partially refilling the generator 1. Again the liquid boils, and

' again the liquid in the pressure-vacuum chamber flows into the receiver 3 under pressure which at this time communicates itself to the surface of the water in the feed water chamber 4, closing check valve and forcing the water to flow from the feed water chamber 4 into the boiler through check valve 18. The cycle then repeats itself.

In the meantime steam condensate is flowing into the accumulator 5. If the apparatus feeds water to the boiler at a faster rate than the condensate returns, the level of fluid in accumulator 5 will fall and cause the float valve 16 to close, cutting off flow into the feed water chamber 4 during its filling cycle. Thus the float valve 16 will adjust itself to allow the apparatus to feed the exact amount of condensate returning into the boiler, opening during the emptying cycle of the make-up chamber 4, and closing during the filling cycle.

If, due to loss of steam or condensate, the boiler level falls below a predetermined minimum level, the make-up valve 22 is opened, either manually or automatically, as heretofore set forth, allowing water to flow into the accumulator 5, allowing the apparatus to feed water into the boiler at a faster rate than that of the condensatel return, until the boiler level rises to its minimum leve The form shown in Figure 2 is similar to Figure 1 in all respects, except that the open or vented accumulator 5 is eliminated, the check valve 25 in Figure 2 being directly connected to the condensate return conduit 26 in place of communicating with the vented accumulator 5 through the float valve 16.

The form shown in Figure 2 operates in exactly the same manner as the form shown in Figure 1, except that during the phase of the cycle during which a vacuum is produced in the pressure-vacuum chamber 27 and the receiver 28 is emptied, water will flow into the feed water chamber 29 under the pressure of the condensate in the condensate return line 26, instead of flowing from the accumulator 5 under atmospheric pressure as in the form shown in Figure 1.

The present invention provides a simple and elficient automatic means for returning low pressure condensate and for supplying make-up water to a higher pressure boiler. Furthermore, the present invention is inexpensive and is simple in construction, has no moving parts other than check valves, and eliminates the need for using mechanical pumps to furnish necessary circulation of fluid.

It should be understood that certain detail changes in the structure may be made provided such changes fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new is:

1. An apparatus of the class described comprising a boiler, a volatile fluid generator in heat transfer relationship with steam from said boiler, a pressure-vacuum chamber located at a higher level than said generator, a volatile liquid receiver located at a higher level than said pressure-vacuum chamber, a feed water chamber, a

conduit connecting the top of said receiver with the top munication between the lower portion of said pressurevacuum chamber and the upper portion of said receiver,

a conduit forming a communication between said generator and the upper portion of said pressure-vacuum chamber, a second conduit forming a communication between said generator and said pressure-vacuum chamber at a point below the discharge end of said first mentioned conduit of said generator and having a syphon at its upper end, a third conduit forming a communication between the bottom of said receiver and the upper portion of said pressure-vacuum chamber, and carrying a check-valve to prevent flow therethrough to said receiver, and a make-up water and condensate return means communicating with said feed water chamber.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said make-up water and condensate return means includes a conduit communicating with the bottom of said feed water chamber, a make-up water and steam condensate accumulator open to atmospheric pressure, said last mentioned conduit extending into said steam condensate accumulator to provide means to conduct make-up water and condensate from said accumulator to said feed water chamber, a check valve in said last mentioned conduit to prevent return flow, and a level control means in said last mentioned conduit to reduce flow out of said accumulator as level lowers in said accumulator, make-up water conduit, and a condensate return conduit communicating with said steam condensate accumulaton' 3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein said make-up water and condensate return means comprises a make-up water conduit and a condensate return conduit communicating with said feed water chamber, and

, check means preventing return flow through said makeup water and condensate return conduits.

4. In a pump that produces a source of a first liquid under atmospheric pressure, a feed chamber, a destination for said first liquid, check valved means interconmeeting the same to cause the feed chamber to fill' when the pressure therein is below that of the source and to deliver when its pressure is above that of the destination and source; the improvement that comprises a pressurevacuum chamber for a predetermined volume of a fluid in liquid form, said fluid in liquid form having a higher volatility than said first liquid, a volatile fluid generator, means to heat said generator, syphon means to feed termined volume of said fluid in liquid form and means responsive to pressurization of said pressure-vacuum chamber. .to deliver liquid phase fluid from said chamber to said receiver, a conduit connecting said receiver t'o said feed chamber whereby the pressure of displaced gas from said receiver is transmitted to said feed chamber to cause said first liquid to be delivered from said feed chamber to said destination, and means responsive to cooling of said pressure-vacuum chamber to restore said predeter mined volume of fluid in liquid form thereto from said receiver whereby a reduction in pressure results in said receiver and feed chamber, and the first liquid from said source under atmospheric pressure is forced into said feed chamber. l

5. In a pump that includes a source of a first liquid under atmospheric pressure, a feed chamber, a destination for said first liquid, check-valvedmeans interconnecting the same to cause the feed chamber to fill when the pressure therein is below that of the source and to deliver when its pressure is above that of the destination and source; the improvement that comprises a pressurevacuum chamber for predetermined volume of a fluid in liquid form, said fluid in liquid form having a higher volatility than said first liquid, avolatile fluid generator positioned below pressure-vacuum chamber, means to heat said generator, a syphon conduit extending between liver liquid phase fluid from said chamber to said receiver,-'

a conduit connecting said receiver to said feed chamber whereby the pressure of displaced-gas from said receiver is transmitted to said feed chamber, to cause said first liquid to be delivered from said feed chamber to said destination, and means responsive to cooling of said pressure-vacuum chamber to restore said predetermined volwhereby a reduction in pressure results in said receiver and feed chamber, and the first liquid from said source under atmospheric pressure is forced into said feed chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 whereinsaid means to deliver liquid phase fiuid from said pressure-vacuum chamber to said receiver comprises a conduit extending from ber to near the top of said receiver and having a syphon bend at its upper end.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the means to restore said predetermined volume to the pressure-vacuum chamber comprises a conduit extending from the bottom of said receiver to the top of said chamber, said conduit having a check-valve to prevent flow to said receiver. g

8. In a steam boiler feed water system having a boiler, a boiler feed Water chamber and a make-up water source, check valved means interconnecting the same to cause the feed water chamber to fill when the pressure therein is below that of the make-up water source and to deliver water to the boiler when its pressure is above that of the boiler and source; the improvement that comprises a pressure-vacuum chamber for a predetermined volume of a fluid in liquid form, said fluid in liquid form having 40 ume of fluid in liquid form theretofrom said receiver.

a higher volatility than said water, a volatile fluid generator in heat transfer relationship with said boiler whereby the heat'of'said 'boiler heats the fluid within said generator, syphon means to feed a predetermined portion of liquid phase fluid from said pressure-vacuum chamber to said generator and means to return said portion of fluid in vapor form back to said pressure-vacuum chamber, a receiver forv a predetermined volume of said fluid in liquid form and means responsive to pressurization of said pressure-vacuum chamber to deliver liquid phase fluid from said chamber to said receiver, a conduit connecting saidreceiver to said feed water chamber whereby the pressure of displaced gas from said receiver is transmitted to said feed water chamber to cause water to be delivered from said feed water chamber to said' boiler, and means responsive to cooling of said pressurevacuum chamber to restore said predetermined volume of fluid in liquid form thereto from said receiver whereby a reduction in pressure results in said receiver andfeed water chamber, and water from said make-up water source under atmospheric pressure is forced into said feed water chamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS I 1,887,000 Wooton et al. Nov. 8, 1932 2,072,467 Nore Mar. 2, 1937 2,230,917 Triana Feb. 4, 1941 2,804,852 Nore Sept. 3, 1957 

